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Plane of ecliptic
as the earth revolves around the sun, it revolves on a plane.
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Perihelion
Closest to the sun, early January
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Aphelion
Farthest point from the sun in July
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March Equinox
- March 20-21
- 0 degree Declination
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June Solstice
- June 21-22
- 23.5 degrees North
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September Equinox
- September 22-23
- 0 degrees
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December Solstice
- December 21 or 22
- 23.5 degrees south
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subsolar point
location on Earth receiving perpendicular sunlight
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Declination
latitude that receives direct sunlight overhead on a particular day
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June Solstice
when noon sun is directly over 23.5 N which is the tropic of cancer
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On the June Solstice, the Arctic Circle and North experience 24 hours of daylight
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December Solstice
Marks time when the noon sun is directly overhead the 23.5 south which is the tropic of capricorn
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On December Solstice, areas south of the antarctic Circle experience 24 hours of continuous daylight
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Tropical latitudes
solar energy is consistency high and varies little from season to season
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Mid latitudes
Experience a single insolation maximum at the time of the respective summer solstice and a single minimum at the time of respective winter solstice
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High latitudes
solar energy receipts are reduced to zero for a good portion of the year
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Solar Constant
- the total amount of insolation received at the top of the atmosphere
- 1,372 W/m^2
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absorption
atmospheric gases absorb radiant energy and convert it to heat causing the temperature of the air to rise slightly
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Scattering
action in which gas molecules, clouds, and dust particles deflect insolation in all directions and some is thus sent back out to space
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albedo
reflectivity of a surface
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shortwave radiation
insolation
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